Jacob hbekimee



(No Model.)

J. HERKIMER.

LOOP CLAMP FOR HOLDING TRAGES, 8m.

No. 279,385. Patented June 12,1883.

Ev en/tor 771' 27,638 60.

WYZZQW 62km M 39 N4 FUCHS, Phmo-Limognpher. Walhingbn. 0.1:.

V UNIT D STATE JACOB HERKIMER, OF CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FOURTH- TO PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT V. STANLEY, F SAME PLACE.

LOOP-CLAMP FOR HOLDING TRACES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,385, dated June 12,1883.

Application filed April 6, 1883. (N 0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB HERKIMER, a, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented-a certain new and useful improved loop-clamp to be used forholding traces or other straps or cords in connection with vehicles orother things to be drawn by horses or other draft-animals or power.

The object of my invention is to furnish a clamp simple in construction,having few parts, and those easily adjusted, and so put together that itis practically impossible for it to get out of order, or to find aperson so simple as not to be able to use it without previousinstruction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention and form a part ofthis specification, and the following is a detailed description of it.

It is simply a metallic box or loop of any required'size or length, openat theends, with the bottom extended, and so made as to be easily andfirmly attached to aleather or other surface. In each of thesides orwalls of thisbox or loop are one or more oblique slots, directlyopposite each other, having the same degree of :n obliquity, and in eachof these slots is inserted a metallic roller, either smooth orcorrugated,

with trunnions on each end, and so arranged as to slide easily on thesetrunnions from end to end of the slots as the strap or other thing to beheld is inserted into what may be termed the rear end of the box or1001), between 3 5 the rollers and the'bottom, and when. the strap orthing to be secured is in place, any attempt to withdrawit causes therollers to grip it automatically between them and the bottom of the boxor loop, so that no force can withdraw 40 it, and the harder the strainthe more firmly is the trace or other thing held; but the mo ment thetraction ceases, if it is desired to remove the strap, a slight push ofit forward, or elevation of the rollers by a slight pressure of thethumb and finger upon the trunnions, or, rather, upon the heads of thescrews that hold the rollers in place, at once releases it.

It will be seen that the principle of my invention may be embodied inmechanism differing in details of construction. I have shown the formwhich I prefer for most purposes in the drawings, which are hereinafterparticularly'described.

The inner or upper surface of the bottom of the box or loop may becorrugatedtransversely or otherwise roughened to give additional grip,and this whether the rollers are smooth or corrugated, and if the sidewalls and bottom are of sufficient strength, and it is desired, the topof the box or loop may be dispensed with, as it performs no serviceother than to lend strength to the loop, although the invention may be.made much neater and more ornamental by its being retained.

In the drawings like letters refer to like parts in all the figures, andthe lower letters of the alphabet are used to designate things notdeemed parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the clamp attached to the side strap of aharness, z 2, as a trace-11o] der. (1 c a are the side walls ofthe boxor loop. I) b b are the oblique slots, of which there are two in eachwall of the model shown in Fig. 1, one being covered by the metallicplate 0, which plate is placed upon each end of the trunnions outside ofthe walls of each clamp, having more than one roller to give uniformityto the elevation or depression of the rollers. (l d is the bottom of thebox or loop, elongated so as to admit the rivets y :1 that secure theclamp to the strap or other surface on which it is to be used. 0 e arescrews that go into the ends of each trunnion and secure the rollers andmetallic plate 0 in place, and by the unscrewing of which the rollerscan be removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, such as would appear if Fig. 1 were dividedfrom end to end on the dotted line 2 2, and the nearest half of thefigure removed, and shows the oblique slots I) b, the rollers ff restingin the slots and upon a strap, a: as, which strap is between the rollersand the bottom (I d of the loop or box.

Fig. 3 is one of the rollers corrugated, showing the trunnions g g andscrews 6 e in" the ends of the trunnions. The heads of these screws canbe made of any desirable size or shape to suit taste or circumstances.

Fig. 4 is a slightly-enlarged view of the metallie plate a, with holesfor the trunnions.

As many rollers as are desired may be put in each clamp, and the lengthof the rollers (exclusive of the trunnions) is about equal to the widthof the box or loop, measuring from wall to wall on the inside, beingjust enough less to admit of their revolving without friction of theshoulders against the walls, and the length of the trunnions is gaged bythe thickness of the walls and the eonneetingplate a, (when one isused.) The screws 6 6 may be omitted and a solid rivet-head made on theends of the trunnions. This will give greater strength and solidity tothe rollers, and is deemed best for ordinary purposes.

JACOB HERKIMER.

- In presenee E. A. SHERBURNE, FRANK SAYRE Osnonnn.

